Democracy

Donald Rumsfeld's recent speech in which he equated criticism of the Iraq war with appeasing fascism is further evidence that the man is either insane or an idiot, or just evil. Probably some combination of the three.

Keith Olbermann responded to Rummy's comments on Countdown; there is a transcript here and a QuickTime version here.

That about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused… is simply this: This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely. And as such, all voices count — not just his. Had he or his President perhaps proven any of their prior claims of omniscience - about Osama Bin Laden’s plans five years ago - about Saddam Hussein’s weapons four years ago - about Hurricane Katrina’s impact one year ago - we all might be able to swallow hard, and accept their omniscience as a bearable, even useful recipe, of fact, plus ego. But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own arrogance, and its own hubris.

Mr. Rumsfeld is also personally confused, morally or intellectually, about his own standing in this matter. From Iraq to Katrina, to the entire "Fog of Fear" which continues to enveloppe this nation - he, Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, and their cronies, have - inadvertently or intentionally - profited and benefited, both personally, and politically. And yet he can stand up, in public, and question the morality and the intellect of those of us who dare ask just for the receipt for the Emporer’s New Clothes.

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised? As a child, of whose heroism did he read? On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day to fight? With what country has he confused… the United States of America?

I'm so glad to see people standing up to this nonsense.

There have always been only eight

So it's official. Thanks to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), our solar system now has only eight planets. Pluto is now officially considered a "dwarf planet," one of several similar objects also orbiting our Sun. Astronomers believe that more, perhaps many more, objects will be discovered in the future, as the accuracy of our detection methods increases even further.

Good riddance to Pluto, I say. I think Pluto, with it's haughty oblong orbit, managed to hang on to its planet status for way too long. Way to go, IAU!

Two questions, however, immediately come to mind. First, what will be the new mnemonic device (MVEMJSUN) used to remember the planets' names? My Very Extravagant Mother Just Sent Us Noodles? Secondly, how does the change in Pluto's status affect astrology? Do dwarf planets have the same kind of astrological influence as the major planets? If so, should astrologers also be tracking Charon, Ceres, and UB313?

Wavering brand loyalty

I have totally been a Sony guy when it comes to video game consoles. I own a PS2, and before that I had a PS1. XBox? Please. So now the next generation of consoles is upon us and I am having a change of heart. Everything I read about the upcoming PS3 makes me think that I just don't want one.

For a couple of years, I have assumed that I would get a PS3 ... it's a little weird to think now that I won't.

First of all, there's the price tag. $600 for a game console? What is Sony smoking? Games, presumably, will be at least $50 each on top of that ... the price is just too much for me to pay for a leisure product. By way of comparison, the upcoming Nintendo "Wii" console will sell for $230.

Then there's the way the box looks - it's freaking huge! I don't want a big monstrosity sitting on my electronic stand (the slim PS2, by comparison, is awesome!). Plus, the top of the PS3 is rounded, meaning that I can't place anything on top of it.

Another factor is my lingering distrust from the Sony rootkit controversy (the fact that Sony music CDs were installing secret spyware on consumers' computers). Again and again, the perception is that Sony just doesn't give a damn about consumers.

And, although this might be a little picky, the font used in the PS3 logo is the same font from the Spider-Man movies. Why doesn't the PS3 have its own design sensibility?

Unless something major changes between now and the PS3's release date, I think Sony will have to count me out. I'll stick with my PS2 for a while longer, and then maybe get a Wii one of these days.

Blacker than the blackest black, times infinity

I think my favorite animated show is still Venture Bros., but the new show called Metalocalypse is really funny. The show depicts the adventures of Dethklok, the world's heaviest heavy metal band, and it's ridiculous and violent and most of all, very, very metal. In last week's premiere episode, Dethklok's performance of a coffee jingle draws several hundred thousand fans (and kills quite a few of them in the process).

Today I was psyched to find an mp3 of Dethklok's Duncan Hills Coffee jingle!

Robots, I'm telling you

There's a pretty cool story online called "Manna" that depicts the scenario of a robotic takeover of the world that begins, surprisingly enough, in a fast food restaurant. The Manna system tells the employees what to do, and productivity increases dramatically. Gradually, the system expands until all human activity is directed by computer.

Now, in real life, there's a restaurant doing something similar. Zaxby's is implementing "Hyperactive Bob," a computerized system that uses touch screens to tell employees what to do.